


My Fake Fiancé

by bayoublackjack



Series: Love in London [7]
Category: Royal Pains
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Moving In Together, Multiple Crossovers, POV Divya Katdare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-11 04:36:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2053842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bayoublackjack/pseuds/bayoublackjack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jeremiah has agreed to be Divya's flatmate, but will he be as willing to be her fake fiancé?</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Fake Fiancé

Divya knew it was a conversation that needed to be had, but she’d been holding off until it was absolutely necessary.  Now that she and Jeremiah were officially living together it seemed that the time had finally arrived.

The property Jeremiah purchased was a stately townhouse in Holland Park.  It was definitely an upgrade from Joan and John’s more humble accommodations, but that didn’t matter all that much to Divya.  She had learned how to live a more frugal existence after her father cut her off.  She’d be lying, however, if she said she didn’t love having her own space once again, even if it was technically Jeremiah’s home and not her own.

Jeremiah was rich, but, unlike Divya, he hadn’t been born into money.  Before becoming a concierge doctor, he worked as the private physician of an affluent client who left him everything in their will.  Divya could understand why a patient would do such a thing.  She had seen him in action back in the Hamptons.  Jeremiah was an excellent doctor.  He was thorough and gentle, albeit socially awkward.  He had a habit of interpreting things literally and he had OCD as well.

When Divya found him, he was in the study ever so meticulously arranging his book collection, which filled several large boxes.  “Do you need a hand?” Divya offered.

“No,” Jeremiah replied in his usual stoic manner.  He was completely engrossed in his task and didn’t fully acknowledge her.   Even so, he never came off as cold to her.  He just had a tendency to be singular in his focus.  “I have a system.”

“Dewey Decimal?”

“Library of Congress.”

“I see.”  Divya moved further into the room, looking down into one of the open boxes, and picked up a random volume.  “Jeremiah…there’s something I need to discuss with you.  Something rather important.”

Jeremiah glanced over his shoulder at her.  “Important?”

“Yes,” Divya replied with a curt nod.

Jeremiah placed the book in his hand in its rightful place on one of the higher shelves then descended the ladder attached to the bookcase.  “Important in what way?”

“Well…”  Divya exhaled slowly.  “Perhaps, we should sit down and chat over a cup of tea,” she suggested.

“I’m not particularly thirsty, but I acknowledge that tea drinking has a secondary social connotation in this country,” he replied.

“Chamomile?”

“Chamomile is fine.”

Divya nodded and lead the way to the kitchen.  Jeremiah sat at the table while she put the kettle on.  “Do you remember the last time we lived together?” she asked as she retrieved two cup from the cupboard.

“Yes, vividly.”

“My parents had cut me off financially and I had nowhere else to go.”

“But that’s not the case this time,” Jeremiah said.

“No, but this time will be temporary as well.  I have no intention of overstaying my welcome,” Divya assured him.

“You’re always welcome in my home,” Jeremiah replied.

“And for that I’m extremely thankful,” Divya said.  “Which is why I need to be honest with you from the start.”

Jeremiah frowned slightly at her words.  “Honest about what?”

Divya exhaled sharply again.  “My parents.”

Jeremiah took a moment to absorb her words.  “They don’t approve?”

“My parents tend to oscillate between traditional Indian ideals and modern Western thinking depending on whichever suits their needs at the time.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“There’s no easy way to say this so I’ll just put it out there,” Divya prefaced her big announcement.  “My parents are under the assumption that you and I are…engaged.”

“Engaged in what?”

“Engaged to be married.”

“Why?”

“Because I told them that we were.”

Jeremiah paused to think again.  “Why?”

“My parents overheard me chatting with you about moving in together and one thing lead to another and now you’re my fake fiancé.  Unofficially.”

Jeremiah silently furrowed his brow for a moment before speaking again.  “What would I have to do?”

“Not much really.  You’ll need to meet my parents at some point.”

“Should I buy you a ring?”

“I don’t know.  Don’t you think that seems a bit… _excessive_?”

Jeremiah shook his head.  “I have the funds for it, but I’m not sure of the proper protocol for fake engagements.”

Divya shrugged.  “I suppose it would make it seem more authentic, but I’d give the ring back after all this is over, of course.”

“You should keep it.  I doubt I’d have any other use for it.”

“Okay, but in addition to my parents, we’ll have to be seen in public together occasionally.  Neither of them lives in the city anymore, but they both have plenty of friends who like to gossip,” Divya explained.  “And, of course you’ll have to behave as though you were in love with me,” she said before she turned to retrieve the tea.

“I think I can manage.”

“So you’re okay with this?”

“If it’ll help you, then I’m willing to do whatever’s necessary,” Jeremiah answered.

“I can’t give you a firm timeline, but I promise it’ll only be temporary,” Divya said.  When she turned back around, she noticed that he was watching her intently.  “Just long enough to calm things with my parents and find a place of my own,” she added.  “Unless I fall in love before then.”

Jeremiah looked startled.  “Fall in love?”

“Yes.”  Divya nodded.  She began scooping tea leaves into an infuser.  “If I were to fall in love with someone, you’d be off the proverbial hook.”  She met his eyes and he looked down.

“Of course.”  Jeremiah wasn’t prone to emotional displays, but Divya couldn’t help notice that he seemed slightly crestfallen suddenly.

The kettle began to boil and Divya switched it off.  “Did you want sugar?” she asked.

Jeremiah’s head snapped upward as if had been lost in his thoughts until she broke him from them.  “No.”  He stood up slowly.  “I should really get back to the books,” he said as he moved towards the door.  He paused monetarily next to the counter to look at her again.  “Enjoy your tea.”  He headed back to the study.

Divya sighed softly.  She could feel the tension even though they were in separate rooms.  She knew it was a lot of her to ask of him.  Jeremiah had been so kind and accommodating and there she was throwing his whole life into an upheaval.  For his benefit and her own, she’d just have to settle this mess sooner rather than later.

As much as she loved the new house, she needed start looking for a place of her own.  Not only that, she should probably get out more.  She didn’t need to get married, but if there was another man in her life, Jeremiah could be free of her web of lies.

Divya filled her cup with hot water and vowed to at least attempt to be more social.  Martha was engaged and Joan and John were…complicated, but she wasn’t the only single Londoner in the fold.  Martha’s sister Tish was unattached and she always seemed to know the best places to meet blokes.  Divya would just need to ring her up and schedule a night out.  ‘Molly too,’ she thought as she sipped her tea.  Too much time alone with her cat wasn’t doing Molly’s love life any favours.


End file.
